A Catholic teacher in Toronto took 90 high school students on a field trip last month to see the gay-angled show "Kinky Boots" as part of her effort to instruct her pupils in what she called “diversity and acceptance.”

“There’s just so many amazing themes that come up in this show that can act as a springboard to talk about really important issues around diversity and acceptance, especially now that it’s a really important conversation to be having here in Canada,” said Lynise Reedy, a teacher in the Toronto Catholic District School board, in a YouTube promotional video put out by the show’s producer, Mirvish Productions, to encourage teachers to bring students to the show.

But:

"Kinky Boots" tells the story of an owner of a struggling shoe
factory who saves his business by teaming up with a drag queen to make
stiletto-heeled boots for transvestite performers. The show overflows
with innuendos suggesting, in the words of reviewer Lauren Yarger, that
“everyone, regardless of the sexual preferences, is OK and should be
accepted for who they are.” An oft-repeated introduction uttered
throughout the show makes the case: “Ladies and gentleman, and those who
have yet to decide…”

My reaction to all of this is an irrepressible desire to yell at these people. Do they think that this will turn a high school kid gay or trans? What are they teaching kids about diversity and acceptance? Ah, but whence the wisdom:

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops gave the film version of “Kinky Boots” a “limited adult audience” rating for “instances of profane, rough and crude language, sympathetic portrayal of a transvestite character, some vulgar gestures, sensual onstage movements, men almost kissing backstage, and an implied premarital relationship.”

That's it. Ask the eunuchs. Of all the things to worry about when it comes to teens. The stage show was inspired by the film. The two share the same story line based on actual events but are otherwise quite dissimilar. In 2013 the show received 13 Tony nominations and won six including best musical. I have seen neither.